Welfare Intervention Network (WIN)

The Welfare Intervention Network is a dedicated team of Lewis & Clark staff who work together to share information and plan appropriate outreach efforts to help students, faculty, and staff who may be a risk to themselves or others. The network model grows out of a key recommendation made by a commission charged with investigating the Virginia Tech shootings.

When would I pass information along to WIN?

Whenever there is a potential serious threat to the health or safety of one of our community members (faculty, staff or student). Examples of situations where you could use WIN to keep our community safe include threats of suicide, potential risk of violence, severe substance abuse problems or eating disorders which endanger a person’s life, stalking, domestic violence, and other severe mental health problems (e.g., psychotic behavior). Please note that if you or someone else is facing imminent risk, you should always contact Campus Safety immediately at (503) 768-7777. Sometimes people hesitate and wait until a situation has reached a state of crisis to tell anyone. There is no harm in expressing concern for a student, co-worker or colleague. Contacting WIN early will give WIN time to provide the most helpful and thoughtful response.

If it’s after-hours, and you think WIN needs information before the next business day, pass your information to Campus Safety (503-768-7777).

What happens after I pass information along?

After consulting with you, the WIN team member to whom you report will generally pass the information on to other members of the WIN team, who will work to appraise the situation, assess risk, and develop a response plan. Please note that if you have a health or safety concern for a student, and you would like a more confidential psychological or health consultation, you can still contact staff in the Counseling Service (including the Chief Psychologist) or Student Health Service for confidential (non-WIN) consultation and support.

What are signs that a community member might pose harm to themselves or others?

There is no definitive list of signs. That being said, here are some things to look out for: dramatic mood changes, withdrawal, hopelessness, recklessness, anger or aggression, significant anxiety or agitation, purposelessness, severe sleep problems, feeling trapped, self-injurious behavior, lack of attention to personal hygiene, a decline in academic or job performance, or other significant behavior changes. Other warning signs can be even more concerning, including comments or writing about death, dying, or suicide, giving away prized possessions, seeking access to the means of suicide, preoccupation with weapons, threats to others, out-of-control drinking behavior, and psychotic symptoms (loss of contact with reality). If you encounter a community member who exhibits any of these more concerning warning signs, you should always seek consultation.

Will the information I pass to WIN be held in confidence?

It depends. WIN members will do all that we can to honor an individual’s request for confidentiality. At the same time, we have an obligation to protect individuals and our community from harm. So at times, we may have to act on information we receive regardless of the preference of the individual who reports the information. Some individuals might be reluctant to talk to WIN because they don’t want to get a person-at-risk into trouble, but WIN is not a network that exists to get people into trouble. WIN’s focus is on getting individuals and our community out of trouble related to potential health and safety risks.

What values guide WIN?

We are committed to the development of a caring community for faculty, staff & students. To achieve this end, we want to provide community members with a clear way of facilitating a supportive and timely response to individuals at risk. We focus on collaboration and communication among all resources so that our intervention can be as effective as possible.

Who do I contact if I have further questions about the WIN program?

Feel free to contact any of the WIN members if you have further questions.